


Vengeance For Pain

by LightningStarborne



Series: Memories of Pain [1]
Category: Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars Original Trilogy, Star Wars Prequel Trilogy, Star Wars: Rebels
Genre: Angst, GFY, lots and lots of angst
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-04-06
Updated: 2016-01-02
Packaged: 2018-03-21 15:23:44
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 6,327
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3697289
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LightningStarborne/pseuds/LightningStarborne
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>When Obi-Wan fights Vader in A New Hope, instead of Vader killing him, Vader heals him instead. Luke, Leia and Han all manage to escape, but Obi-Wan is captured, and the Emperor is not kind to those who escape his grasp.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

  * For [flamethrower](https://archiveofourown.org/users/flamethrower/gifts), [Selene467](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Selene467/gifts).
  * Inspired by [OtherWhen, Part V](https://archiveofourown.org/works/250441) by [flamethrower](https://archiveofourown.org/users/flamethrower/pseuds/flamethrower). 



> This is based on my love of flamethrower's character Venge. So, he'll be making an appearance.

 

Luke dashed into the hanger, Leia close behind, and slid to a halt as he saw Ben fighting a machine. He could feel his eyes widen, horror running through him. Ben couldn't win against that thing!

"Ben!" Luke shouted, trying to get him to run.

Ben simply glanced his way, and Luke wanted to take a step forward, watching as Ben raised his lightsaber, but he was frozen to the spot. He expected the machine to stab Ben, ar something, but he didn't expect him to just... place a hand on his shoulder?

Then Ben crumpled, screaming, a horrible, broken sound that reached into his very soul , and Luke screamed too. He may have been actually saying something, but he couldn't tell.

Something was happening to Ben, he could feel it, but he couldn't tell what. Vader placed his boot on Ben's chest, and this time Luke did take a step forward, because that monster was trying to hurt Ben, and he had already hurt him. Then, someone started laughing, a wheezing broken sound, and then that same voice spoke. The voice was familiar, but not.

"Why did you think this was good idea?" Softly, w ith amusement behind it.

"My master wanted to see you again, as you were. Not as you have become." the machine said. Then it pushed harder with its foot, and Luke could hear a horrible CRACK as Ben's ribs broke. He  screamed, again, and then inhaled deeply.

Then Ben turned his head toward Luke, and Luke could feel the shock course through his veins. Ben looked different.  Completely different. His face was less lined, and his eyes were flickering between a blue-green, and a deep amber.

"Luke, RUN," Ben shouted.  "Take Leia, and RUN." The machine then grabbed Ben by the front of his robes, and Ben's now copper-blonde hair fell back, showing Ben's smiling face. It was not a pleasant smile.

Luke, against his better judg ment , took Leia's hand and fled into the Millennium Falcon, trying to ignore the guilt that threatened to drown him as he shouted at Han to fly.

Obi-Wan could feel a sneer curling at his lips as Palpatine walked in. If the Sith thought that he would break just because he had accepted death, he would have another thing coming.

Palpatine walked swiftly towards him, and yanked his head back by his hair. His copper-blonde hair. He grinned, and Palpatine smiled back. 

"Hello again, my lovely Venge," he purred, and narrowed his eyes at Obi-Wan's incomprehension. Obi-Wan inhaled deeply as Palpatine's mental fingers poked at his mental walls, and he snarled. He couldn't fight back, not in his present state. The mental fingers dug deeper, and deeper, and Obi-Wan's snarl turned into a grimace.

When Palpatine found the block, and prodded it, hard, Obi-Wan gasped and glared up at Palpatine. And then Sidious reached for the block, mental probes slipping over it. Then, with no warning, not that he expected one, and no finesse, Sidious tore the block apart.

Obi-Wan screamed.

Obi-Wan- no, Venge,- no, OBI-WAN- cracked open his eyes, groaning at  what  little light  that  was in the room. His head hurt, and he didn't ever want to wake up again. He had never expected to wake up again, not with the overwhelming pain that apparently came with- Obi-Wan gasped, as a particularly sharp blade seemed to poke into his brain.

He could remember now, why Yoda and Mace had stuffed Venge into a box. What had he been thinking? On ly that he wanted revenge for what Sidious had done to his poor padawan. There was a reason his name was Venge.

He only regretted not being able to protect Luke and Leia. While he had managed to protect them both once, he was not there to protect them now. Obi-Wan hoped that the smuggler could help them at that they would get to the base.

Obi-Wan shot up, then groaned as his head protested the movement. He poked gently at his mental shields, moaning at the pain. His block was broken (of course), and his outer shields were in tatters but his inner shields seemed relatively intact. So he had given Sidious the names of a bunch of dead rebels. 

Obi-Wan pulled his knees up to his chest, and pushed himself back until he was sitting with his back in a corner. His eyes darted around for a moment before he pulled his knees against his chest, and wrapped his arms around them. He pressed his face against his knees, taking deep breaths. He was very quietly trying not to panic.

Then his efforts proved futile as a voice ghosted across the room.

"I see that you're awake, Venge."

"Han, how could you not believe in the Force?" Luke sighed, "I saw Ben get younger after Vader touched him. He put his hand on Ben's shoulder, he collapsed, and Ben's hair turned a reddish  colour . He looked younger."

Han tossed his medal into the air and caught it, then leaned forward and put his arms on his knees. "I think that you were seeing things, kid. People don't mysteriously get younger. Force, or no Force."

Luke shook his head, then leaned back in his chair. "Hey, Leia!" he called, and she looked up from her datapad. "Did you see what  colour  Ben's hair was? You'd never met him before, right?"

Leia switched her datapad off and sat up straight. "I had seen some holos of him so I could recognize him on Tatooine, but no. I had not met him before today. His hair was a copper-blonde  colour , and he looked younger than I had expected."

Han frowned. "But he was a fossil," he protested. "He was ancient. He had white hair and his face was covered in lines."

Leia shook her head. "Sorry, Han. His hair was redder than it was white, and he had frown lines, but his face wasn't covered in lines."

Han ran his hands through his hair and huffed. "This doesn't make any sense!" He said despairingly. "How did he do that? it could have been a trick..."

"Han, the Force doesn't make any sense." Luke told him. "That's why most people think it's magic."

There was a knock on the door, and all three of them turned towards it.

"It's open," Luke called.

A woman poked her head in and asked, "You  are  Princess  Leia, Luke Skywalker, and Han Solo?"

"Last I checked." Han said.

"Do you have anything on what happened to Ben?" Luke asked as the woman stepped inside their room.

"I was told that this trans mission was sent half an hour ago." She said handing a holo-projector to Leia. "It was sent by the Emperor, and it shows that he has custody of Jedi Master, and General, Obi-Wan Kenobi."

Luke shot a look at Han, and Leia put the holo-projector on the table. "You're dismissed. Thank you." The woman bowed and left.

Leia looked up at Luke. "Are you sure you want to see this? We don't know what the Emperor might have done to him."

Luke took a deep breath, and let it out, unconsciously mirroring   Obi-Wan. "I'm sure. It's not me who has been captured. Play it."

Leia clicked play.

_ A man sits on a throne in a large, open room. Behind him there is a large cyborg , Darth Vader, who's breathing shakes the room. _

_ Before them, there is a small form curled up on the floor. The emperor began to speak. _

_ "Hello, little rebellion. As you have already realized, I have once again captured General Kenobi." The Emperor's lip twisted into a sneer, and the form on the floor twitched and muttered something. _

_ The Emperor looked at him. "What was that, Lord Venge?"  _ If Leia had her information right, that meant that the form on the floor was one of the Emperor's Hand's, or another Sith Lord. Probably an Apprentice. For some reason the name sounded familiar.

_ "Other than Bail Organa, none of them were told about the first time," the figure rasped. _

_ The Emperor looked delighted. "Really? What an interesting conundrum, Lord Venge." _

_ "You forgot about the block," the figure rasped again. "It is difficult to tell people things that you don't remember." _

"Wait, Ben had selective amnesia?" Luke said, looking at Leia, who nodded.

"It's one of the things I was briefed in before I came to retrieve him."

_ The Emperor stood up, and waved a hand. T he figure on the floor was thrown out of view. _

_ "I was considering showing you something to break your spirit, but I decided not to. It seems much more fun for you to not know who you're fighting." _

_ Then the view changed to a wall, and on that wall was a man. He looked up wearily as the Emperor approached. "Good morning, General. How do you feel?" _

_ "Like ripping your head off," General Kenobi whispered. _

_ "Normal, then," the Emperor said, seemingly unfazed by Kenobi's threats. "Say 'hello' to the rebels." _

_ Kenobi looked up wearily. "Do not try to rescue me. I have survived this before, and I will not allow any others to die for me. Ask  Mon Mothma ." _

_ The Emperor laughed. You really think that's going to work? You are all so noble. 'Leave no man behind,' yes? " _

_ "I can't let them just throw their lives away. Not for me. I don't deserve it." Kenobi said. _

_ The Emperor laughed again, and seemed to look directly at Luke and Leia. "Goodbye, little rebellion." _


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Apologies for my tardiness. I had a few busy weeks.

The three stared at the holoprojector for a minute, before Leia frowned and turned to look at the other two. "Wait, did he say Venge?"

Han looked up. "Yeah. Why?"

Leia tapped her fingers on her lips, and looked pensive. "Well, my father always said that two people I could always trust was Obi-Wan Kenobi, and a man named Lord Venge." She looked at Han. "Do you think that they're the same person?"

Han shrugged. "I dunno, Princess. What do you think?"

"I- I'm not sure. I trust my father's judgment, but that man was obviously one of Sidious' men." Sh e dropped her head into her hands, and groan ed . "Plus, the name has always felt familiar. I don't know why. Whenever I think of it, I can see glimpses of red, and white. An-and screaming. I don't know."

"Maybe you met him when you were little and don't remember him well. There are many possibilities."  Han pointed out.

"Well-" Leia was cut off when former Senator Mon Mothma walked in.

Leia stood up and hugged her. "Hi. What are you doing here? I thought that you were too busy to visit."

Mon Mothma nodded. "I was. Until I learned that Darth Venge was mentioned."

Luke looked up. "Really? Do you know who he is?"

Sh e nodded, face pale. "I do. But it is not my story to tell."

Luke stood, furious. "He helped capture Ben!" He shouted. "And you aren't going to tell us because it isn't-"

"Skywalker!" Mothma barked. "Hold your tongue," she said, voice cold. "He is a good man, in a very bad situation. He has saved my life. I will not stand to hear him insulted."

"And what about Ben? The Venge could be torturing him!" Luke shouted.

Mon Mothma's smile was very, very sad. "I have no doubts about that. It just isn't what you think."

Luke stormed to the door and opened it. "I thought that you were good people, but now I can see that your just like all the rest. You can't even help the man who saved your Princess." Luke said, voice bitter, and stormed out the door.

"I can't believe I find myself back here." Obi-Wan said bitterly. "Have I become so incompetent that I can't even save myself?"

"Don't be so morose, Obi-Wan," Xanatos said. "It could be worse."

"And how, exactly, could this possibly be worse, Xan?" Obi-Wan asked. "Please, do tell. I would very much like to know."

"He could have broken his vow."

Dead silence.

"Have I mentioned how much better you look with red hair?" Xan squeaked.

"The ninth time, I do believe." Qui-Gon mentioned, leaning against a wall.

"I would like to thank you for reminding me, Xan." Obi-Wan said. "It's al ways nice to know that things can always get worse."

Obi-Wan sat up, and sighed. "Might as well get prepared for my latest round of electrocution."

Xanatos and Qui-Gon gazed after him sadly. He was a very sad old man, and both wished he wasn't.

Hoth, a few years later

Han Solo growled at Darth Vader  as he swept into the room dramatically. He had no idea as to how the Sith had managed to defeat them. Those tactics were so different to the ones he normally used that it had been driving the tacticians crazy.

Han had been so focused on Vader that he hadn’t noticed the dozens of stormtroopers that had followed Vader, nor the cloaked man.

Leia glared up at Vader and sneered. "How good to see you again, my lord. Introduce me to your friend?"

"Lord Venge, stop conversing with dead men and watch the interrogation." Vader rumbled.

The cloaked man snarled something in another language, one that made Han feel as if someone had dumped a bucket of ice water on his head. From Luke and Leia's expressions, they felt the same.

"What the hell was that?" Luke demanded, voice shaking.

Vader looked at him, and tilted his head. "That is the ancient Sith language. It is Venge's preferred language when not in the Palace. Venge. Basic."

Venge rolled his eyes, and looked to his right. "You see what I mean, Qui?"  K en obi said , and pulled down his hood.

Except it wasn't  K en obi , because  K en obi 's eyes were blue, not amber.

"Pick your chin up off of the floor, Luke." K enobi  said , straightening his shoulders. "I wish that I did not have to be here."

"B-ben?" Luke's voice shook, and Han felt sorry for the boy. He admired Kenobi, and here he was, on the other side.

"I do apologize for not being able to contact you sooner." Kenobi spun, and when he spoke, the sharp crack of command was in his voice. "Out. All of you. Yes, Ani, that does mean you."

Han looked up, confused. Ani? Who was that?

"I have told you not to call me that." Vader said.

"Ani, Ani, Ani, Ani. Leave, and I might consider stopping. You just don't like it because you can't even remember that you killed-" Kenobi's voice was cut off as Vader started to choke him from five feet away.

Kenobi simply smiled, despite his face turning blue. "He wants me alive. You would dare defy him? You  always refused to follow in my footsteps, so I can't see why you would risk defiance."

Vader dropped him, and strode out with the stormtroopers.

Immediately, he turned to Luke, Leia, and Han, "I do trust you're not hurt?'

"Why would it matter?" Luke said bitterly. "You were lying to us, so how do we know you aren't just trying to gain my trust?"

Kenobi smiled, to Han's surprise. It was a sad, gentle smile, filled with miles of heartbreak. "I could not lie to you about something I myself did not remember, young Luke."

Luke glared at him. "Explain."

Kenobi closed his eyes, took a deep breath, then explained something about a block, a lair, and a Sith Lord.

Han thought the story was horrifying.


	3. Chapter 3

Ben sat on a block of ice, and stared out the window while Han, Luke, and Leia processed this new information. He had his chin in his hand, and one of his legs was dangling off the block. He seemed to be talking to nothing, and he seemed even more distant than usual. 

When Luke finally managed to get used to the idea of Ben being like-like them, he looked up. Ben had always seemed sad, but right now his eyes seemed filled with miles of heartbreak. He couldn't help but feel that, despite the lack of details, he now knew more about Ben than he ever wanted to. 

It made the video make so much more sense. 

Ben tilted his head, then reached into his boot and pulled out a knife. He looked at it mournfully for a moment, before throwing it end over end at the door. It stuck there and held, just as a man opened it. He looked at it with a terrified expression before clearing his throat. 

"Lord Venge?" 

Ben glanced at him. "I thought I said that I was to be left alone," Ben told him, his voice as cold as the ice outside. 

"I-I'm sorry. B-but, Lord V-vader wanted to leave soon." The man's mouth snapped shut, and he looked at the ground, avoiding Ben's eyes. 

"Leave. I will join Ani soon enough." 

The man scampered out of the room, relieved to leave a presence a thousand times more terrifying than Vader's, only amplified by the heartbreak in his eyes that no one wanted to face. 

Ben hopped down from his block, and turned to a blank space right next to it. "I know you don't want me to stay there any longer, but I can't help them while I'm with them. I have to defend them from the inside." 

He seemed to listen for a moment before shaking his head. "No, Xan. I need you both to watch over them." Silence. "Yes, Xan. You too. You can visit, of course, but I need you to go." 

There was a much shorter span of silence this time, and Ben seemed to someone off. "I can take care of myself, Qui! I need you to help them. Get them to Yoda. I can give you the energy to manifest for a few weeks, but I need you to do this for me. Alright?" 

Ben then turned back to face the Rebels, and there was terrifying knowledge in his eyes. He didn’t know if he was going to survive this or not. "I need you to follow Qui-Gon, and listen to what he says. He is going to take you to a remote planet where a twi-lek will take you to my gifts to you." 

Luke frowned, exchanging glances with Leia. "Gifts?" 

Ben smiled. "Yes, gifts. I managed to get these gifts out of Sidious' lair. They have been there for a while now, though I am not sure as to why he kept them." 

"What are these gifts?" Leia asked. 

"I can’t tell you right now. You'll just have to find out," Ben told them. 

Ben spun on his heel and held his hands up, as if cupping something between them, except they were above his head. He closed his eyes, and frowned on concentration. "It's a good thing you aren't completely Force-null, Captain, else this would be difficult." 

Then, slowly, a blue form appeared, and started to solidify. The form was a man with long silvering hair, whose height dwarfed Ben. He had a broken nose, and a crooked smile. It turned out that Ben had been cupping the man's face. When he was solid, the man leaned down to put their foreheads together, in a strangely intimate gesture. 

Ben stepped back and smiled at the man. "Oh, how I have missed you, Master." 

The man put a hand on Ben's cheek. "And I, you, Padawan." 

Ben sighed, and turned. "A moment, Xan." He smiled and walked towards more empty space. Once again reached up and seemed to cup   
something. 

Another form appeared, still taller than Ben, but not quite as tall as the other man. The man also solidified, and this one had black hair, and deep blue eyes. There was a scar on his cheek, a half-circle, right beneath his high cheekbones. 

The moment he was solid he grabbed Ben, pushed him against the nearest wall, and kissed him. Luke could feel his mouth hanging open, as the man kissed Ben senseless. The tall man rubbed a hand down his cheek, sighing. 

The black haired man finally stepped back, and Ben was leaning against the wall, looking dazed. He shook his head, as if to clear it, and straightened his tunics. 

The other man grinned at him. "I've wanted to do that for a long time." 

Ben rolled his eyes and sighed before glancing at the rebels. "I think you've traumatized them Xan." 

Ben walked up to them with the two men following. He gestured at the one he called Xan. "This is Xanatos du Crion," he waved at the other one, "and Qui-Gon Jinn." 

du Crion nodded at them, while Jinn smiled. Ben kept speaking. "Qui-Gon used to be my master- my teacher, if you will- and before that, he was Xan's master." 

Luke coughed before replying. "Pleasure." 

Ben waved at them. "The blonde one is Luke Skywalker. Anakin's son. The brunette is Leia Organa, Bail's adopted daughter, and princess of   
Alderaan. The smuggler is Han Solo, captain of the Millennium Falcon. He's Corellian, so he's good." 

Ben tilted his head again, then looked at them. He spoke, only one word. 

"Run." 

And they did. 

 

"I did not give you leave to let them escape, Lord Venge. The Rebels, or my prisoners." Sidious hissed. 

Obi-Wan looked up, blood dripping from one eye. "I thought we discussed this. I am not here to be the obedient one. That's Vader's job. 

You said you like the witty conversation." He grinned with blood stained teeth, defiant in the literal face of death. 

Sidious stood up and walked down the steps of the dias, advancing towards Obi-Wan. "Then I guess you'll just have to pay for your defiance." 

 

Luke sat in front of Qui-Gon, who was kneeling in the cargo hold. He studied the man for a moment, then cleared his throat. 

"Yes?" Qui-Gon said without opening his eyes. 

"Why are we going to Dagobah?" Luke asked. 

"A friend of mine dwells there. I decided to visit him." Qui-Gon replied calmly. 

Han knocked on the door, and Luke looked up, startled. "We're about two minutes out. Prepare yourself." 

Qui-Gon nodded and stood up, turning to Luke. "Are you coming or not?" 

Luke smiled. "I'd love to meet this friend of yours." 

 

It was a troll. There was no other way to describe it. Luke stared at it for a moment, while Qui-Gon strode forward and knelt. 

"Solid you are," it said, sounding miffed. 

"My former Padawan's work, Master of my Master." Qui-Gon said to it. 

"Introduce me, you will. Manners you have lost." 

"Of course, Master." Qui-Gon grinned before waving Luke forward. "Luke, this is Master Yoda, the wisest of the Jedi. He is a good friend." 

"It is a pleasure to meet you," Luke told him, shaking his hand. 

Yoda looked up at him. "Trusted you, Obi-Wan did, so trust you I will." 

 

They followed Xanatos into a small bar on some backwater planet that Luke couldn't remember the name of. Everyone in the bar glanced up, and stared. Their eyes were fixed on Xanatos, and as far as Luke could tell, they weren't used to having someone of such beauty in such a grungy place. 

Xanatos simply grinned, twiled and said, "Take a holo. It'll last longer." When people actually started taking holos, Xanatos simply twirled again, and strode towards the bar. 

He spoke too quietly for Luke to hear, and the bartender called a red twi-lek over, who regarded Qui-Gon with delight. "Master Jinn!

"Shian! It is good to see you again." Qui-Gon said happily.

"Back at you. Follow me," she said, leading them to a door and opening it.

They filed in cautiously, the only one not tip-toeing was Qui-Gon. Luke looked around, taking the room in. There were several tables, and people staring at them. 

There was a man in armor with his hair tied back, and a green twi-lek in a flight suit. There was a man of about twenty with blue hair; a creature he didn't recognize; a togruta with a lightsaber; and a girl in Mandalorian armor. 

The man in armor stepped up. "Who are you?" he demanded. 

Xanatos didn't seem alarmed. "You might have heard of some of us. I'm Xanatos du Crion, and this is Qui-Gon Jinn." He didn't mention any of the others, but the togruta and the armored man gasped. 

"That’s impossible!" the togruta said. "Master Jinn died before the war started, and Xanatos died before Master Obi-Wan became a Padawan!" 

"After, actually, but not by much." Qui-Gon said calmly. "And we are who we say we are. Technically, we're also ghosts, but my Padawan managed to make us a bit more solid." 

The togruta looked confused, but sighed and started introductions. "I'm Ahsoka Tano. I used to be Anakin Skywalker's Padawan. This is Kanan Jarrus. He was a Padawan before the Purges. This is Ezra Bridger, Kanan's Padawan. Hera Syndulla, Zeb, and Sabine." She pointed to each person as she said their name. 

Qui-Gon introduced them, and then looked at Tano expectantly. 

Tano laughed. "Master Obi-Wan used to give me that look." Her smile turned sad and wistful. "I miss him, and my master." 

"Well you may get to see him again, but first, your other guest?" Xanatos said. 

"Fine," Ahsoka said, leading them out of the room. They walked into a side room where there was a white-haired girl, and a gray-haired man standing over a holo-projector. 

Leia gasped. "Winter?! Daddy!?" 

They both looked up, and Leia darted toward them, wrapping her arms around them. "How did you survive?" 

"We left right after, planning to go to Naboo, and we didn’t die," the older man said. 

Leia just hugged them closer, and whispered, "I missed you so much."


	4. Chapter 4

Luke looked around the room, once again wondering how he had gotten here. Less than  5 years ago he had been a poor moisture farmer on Tatooine, and now he was a Jedi sitting in a room with two dead men, and three other Jedi. Not to mention a Viceroy, two princesses, and a smuggler. And that wasn't even including the rest of the Ghost crew.

Ahsoka stood up and walked over to where Luke was sitting quietly in between Qu i- Gin  and Xanatos. She bit her lip and asked, "What do you know about the new Sith apprentice, Darth Venge?"

Bail Organa blanched behind her, and both Qui-Gon and Xanatos sighed, but Qui-Gon was the one who spoke.

"I should have known you would ask. I just wish that you wouldn't."

"Why?" Ahsoka asked. "I am not a Padawan anymore."

"No," Qui-Gon said quietly. "But I-I just wish I did not have to speak about this."

"Then don’t, Master," Xanatos said. "I can tell them. I know more about what happened than you do, anyway."

"No, Xan. He was my Padawan, it is my responsibility to m ake sure he isn't hated too much." Qui-Gon sighed gently, looking down.

Ahsoka frowned. "Wait, I thought Obi-Wan only had two brother Padawans?"

Qui-Gon's smile was incre dibly sad. "He did."

"Well, then who was the other one? He introduced me to Master  Kimal , but I never learned about the other one."`

Xanatos shook his head. "You are smart, little togruta, but you will never be the wordsmith that  my brother Padawan, or our Master was. "

"I'm sorry? Who was your brother Padawan?" Ahsoka asked.

Qui-Gon sighed when Xanatos simply grinned. "Padawan, you're being cruel."

Ahsoka shot up straight. "Wait, you're Darth Venge?"

Xanatos shook his head, expression unexpectedly melancholy. "No. I watched Venge become, but I was never Venge."

Confusion marred Ahsoka's features. "But, that leaves Obi-Wan, and he is too light to F all. He would never fall. I saw Kimal's body."

Qui-Gon's voice was gentle, soothing, but that did not take the bite out of his words. "'When you have eliminated the impossible, whatever remains, however improbable, must be the truth.'"

Ahsoka shook her head violently. "That's exactly what I mean! It isn't improbable that Obi-Wan would Fall, it's impossi ble. "

Qui-Gon's voice was heartbreakingly sad. "Anyone can F all,  i t is not impossible for Obi-Wan to Fall. It just takes the right set of circumstances."

Ahsoka still seemed unable to believe that Obi-Wan was anything but light, but after a moment, she slumped. She sat heavily in the nearest chair, and put her head in her hands. She shook her head, and Luke's heart ached for her.

Qui-Gon knelt nex t to her, and placed a hand on her shoulder. She looked up, and Qui-Gon smiled. "I have known him longer than you, and it hurt so much to see him Fallen. You have to remember that no matter how dark he gets, or what he does, he is still a Jedi. He has been a Jedi for most of his life. It defines him."

"Almost as much as the word 'almost."  Xan  interjected. 

"I' m sorry?" Luke asked, suspecting a joke.

Qui-Gon answered. "I've never really thought of it that way, but it's true .  He almost went to Agricorp. He almost saved me. He almost saved  Tahl . He almost let Vader kill him. He almost died  so many times . So many things are destroyed by the word 'almost' I just wish we could have prevented this almost."

"You know, I constantly wondered what would happen if I left." A new voice said from behind them. "Apparently you all start moping around and doing nothing."

Qui-Gon immediately stood up and spun around. "Tahl! How did you get here?"

Tahl raised an eyebrow. "As in, how did I get to this plane of existence, or this bar? Because, for the first one, the exact same way you did. The second, the same way you get anywhere when you are non-material."

Qui-Gon stared at her for a moment, before grinning. "I really missed you,  Tahl ."

Tahl smiled at him. "And I you, but for now, we really need to focus on how we're going to rescue that padawan of yours. The living one," she added when Xanatos opened his mouth. Xanatos simply  grinned and held up his hands in the classic surrender position.

Ahsoka frowned, and Luke sighed mentally when he realized that they had gotten so used to ghosts appearing that it was a usual thing.

"Why are you so intent on finding Obi-Wan?" Ahsoka asked. "Not that I'm ungrateful or anything, just, why?"

Tahl's smile was less a smile, and more of a wolf showing her teeth. "That boy saved my best friend's life. And don't you dare deny it, Qui-Gon," she said pointing a finger at the man in question. "I saved his life, with Shia'nelal's help. He has carried more guilt and self-loathing than any person I have ever met." Her voice was sad. "I see him, and I recognize his accomplishments, and I see who he is. But sometimes, all I can remember is the child who was too self-sacrificing, noble, and stubborn to admit that doing certain things were a bad idea, regardless of the reason."

Her voice turned hard. "And I will be damned before I let him suffer on his own any longer, just because he doesn't want any of us to get hurt."


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Luke muses on the feeling of those who have come to help him save Ben, and Venge muses on the mind of Sidious.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is a lot of monologue, and I'm really sorry.

Luke flopped down onto the chair, exhausted. They had been on Organa's ship for two weeks, and it was draining. It was better than trying to fit all of them onto the Millenium Falcon, but they were still in close quarters, and there was little to no privacy. 

It did mean that Luke had learned quite a bit about the other people on the ship, and why they wanted to help Ben so badly. And they all wanted to help him; Winter, Bail Organa, Qui-Gon Jinn, Xanatos du Crion, Ahsoka Tano … They all loved him. 

Ben had been Ahsoka's grandmaster, and she had worked with him on several occasions. She had one of the hardest times getting used to the idea that Ben had become a Sith. She constantly mourned his Fall, because 'he is – was – so light that everyone in the System would be lit up. Everyone saw his light, and now...' She was always sad when she thought of Ben shrouded in Darkness. 

Kanan actually had the hardest time believing that Ben was dark. He would always say 'but he's Obi-Wan Kenobi!' He refused to listen to anyone who told him that Ben was anything but the Best Jedi. At first at least, but as time passed he realized that it was real. Obi-Wan Kenobi was a Sith. 

When they got on the ship, they had been joined by a clone named Rex. When they had told him that they were going to save Ben, Rex had just growled "It's about time," and gone to clean his guns. He was kind and made sure they all knew how to fire a blaster and throw a grenade. 

Winter had not seen him as often apparently, but she had loved a man who had taken the time to play with children that he didn't need to acknowledge. It had helped that her father told many tales of the good that Ben had done. 

Leia was much the same as Winter, but she said that she could almost remember a man who had saved her life. They now knew the story; broken, half-dead, and older than he should be, Ben had ripped his soul out to save a small child. Organa had told him that Ben would have done the same even if she had been a random girl. 

Organa loved him. Pure and simple. Every time he spoke of Ben, his voice turned wistful. He spoke of Ben saving his life when they were both just children, and of how Ben had been friends with him, despite his utter loathing of politicians. He spoke of Ben's mischievousness, and of his kindness. Of how he had saved so many when he could have just left and claimed pain and trauma as an excuse. 

Shia'nelal had many good things to say about him, but she had no qualms against teasing him, even when he wasn't there. She praised his kindness in one breath while calling him an idiot the next. "I love him to death," she would say. "And he saved my life, when he could have ignored me. I would not be here if it were not for him, but he is the most self-sacrificing idiot I have ever met in my life." Her voice would be fond and exasperated, and she would smile sadly every time she said this. 

Tahl did the same thing as Shian, but she would praise his skills as well as his kindness, and then curse his guilt. Most of the time this would end with Tahl walking away muttering about her death and whose fault it was. Every time she mentioned this, Qui-Gon would get an oddly guilty look on his face. 

Both Xanatos and Qui-Gon had began to fade after several weeks, just as Ben had said, but Luke found it very easy to pick up their love for him as well. Xanatos loved making jokes about how beautiful Ben was, which was slightly disturbing. He constantly made cracks about their first meeting, which no one but Qui-Gon understood. Though, all jokes aside, he had watched over Ben, trying to protect him, and clearly loved his as much as the others. 

And Qui-Gon.  

Luke could see Qui-Gon's love for Ben as if it burned from his very being. 

Qui-Gon always talked about Ben with pride, or heartbreak in his voice. He loved to tell stories about Ben on Tattooine, and how they got into so many arguments. He told stories about a young Ben, a man who was sarcastic, witty, and so intelligent it scared politicians. Qui-Gon told them about how he had almost lost Ben because Qui-Gon himself had been blind, but Ben had never blamed him, despite having every right to do so. 

Everyone wanted to save Ben, and it astonished Luke to see how far Ben's mere presence had spread. By their interactions, Luke could tell that Ben had never realized it. He had been so willing to throw away his life to save others, not realizing how much it would hurt them. 

"Luke?" 

He glanced up, and smiled at Leia. "Sorry. I was just thinking." 

She laughed, and it sounded slightly hollow. "Come on, it's dinner time, and Han refuses to it anywhere but beside me. I might as well have you on the other side for moral support." 

Luke chuckled at that and grabbed the hand she offered to get up. He followed her to the dining cabin, and enjoyed dinner, but his mind lingered on his previous thoughts. 

 

~ 

Venge shuddered, repulsed. It had just occurred to him that Sidious loved him. It was obvious in his actions, words, and eyes. The man clearly liked his body, and he often told Venge how beautiful he was, but that alone had not made Venge realize the man loved him. 

Sidious constantly touched his hair; pulling it to force Venge to bare his throat; or as a psuedo-comforting touch after he given Venge a particularly hard lesson. 

He respected his promise, which was disturbing in and of itself, just so he could have Venge there willingly. He didn’t bother to take Zannah, Venge's one ally in here, away. He was either overconfident, or believed it was one way to keep Venge here. 

Venge may have sent Qui-Gon and Xan away, but in this moment he wanted them there more than almost anything. The only thing that kept him from trying to reach out a pull them there was the knowledge that seeing Venge like this hurt them both. More than anything, Venge wanted them both safe, and happy, and the only way to get that was to send them away, no matter how much it hurt. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you enjoyed it and weren't too bother by my extended absence.


End file.
